The PSPC is currently being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the Supreme Court learned in April that the company had yet to provide a single drop of clean water despite costing Rs4 billion to the provincial exchequer.

Usman, who used to draw a salary of Rs1,465,000 as the PSPC CEO, has twice appeared before the NAB. He is being probed by the corruption watchdog as part of an inquiry into the assets of heads of public companies in Punjab.

He last appeared before the SC on July 24 when he was asked by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar whether he had returned the salary he had drawn as the PSPC head.

In Usman's defence, his counsel had said that his client had an unblemished record of service and there was no allegation of corruption against him.

After he relinquished the post today, Umar Malik, the company's chief financial officer, was given additional charge.

Last year, the NAB had launched a thorough probe into the affairs of 56 public sector companies formed by the Shahbaz Sharif administration in Punjab for their alleged involvement in corruption.

These companies are accused of certain irregularities, recruitment in violation of procurement rules and merit, nepotism, and non-completion of various projects in time.

On DawnNews

Comments (64) Closed

Now IK coming to power he had no option than to retire. If he feels that he has an unblemished record then he should name those who were involved.

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M. Saeed

Aug 09, 2018 02:43pm

Why such an obscenely high salary? What magic wand he has that produces "Saaf Paani"?

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Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Aug 09, 2018 02:45pm

Investigate thoroughly and establish full facts and punish all culprits severely - no reliefs for such thugs and cronies of corrupt mafia!

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junaid

Aug 09, 2018 02:46pm

unbelievable . Can our country afford to give these salary?

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excalibur

Aug 09, 2018 02:46pm

He should be behind bars What resignation ? Looted money should be recovered from him

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M. Saeed

Aug 09, 2018 02:46pm

Once, long ago, CDA had employed a retired Brigadier as "Water Diviner", on isolated cases to discover underground water. Water Divining is a gift of nature and very productive. Even that Brigadier was not paid more than a few thousand Rupees for each water discovery.

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Khaled

Aug 09, 2018 02:51pm

Drawing a fabulous salary and not producing a drop of 'saaf pani' not enough reason for suspecting corruption?

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Wazir

Aug 09, 2018 03:04pm

He should be given maximum punishment.

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H

Aug 09, 2018 03:15pm

He should repay the corrupted money.. NAB should fine him of 10 Billion Rupees at least!

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SUMAIRA

Aug 09, 2018 03:16pm

Good job Pakistan NAB. Catch all the thieves from top to bottom before they run away from the country without accountability.

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Hameed Gul

Aug 09, 2018 03:16pm

The same gentleman had a role in Model Town killings and allegedly was rewarded the present post in return.

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Ali

Aug 09, 2018 03:21pm

@M. Saeed What should you expect cfo to be paid 15000 per month ? It's an alright income for the post not even high

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Hello123

Aug 09, 2018 03:25pm

This is the same company that had conducted interviews in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Dubai for their massive recruitment campaign.

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Zak

Aug 09, 2018 03:37pm

Who put a retired Captain in charge. And why his he still using retired Captain designation. Disgraceful.

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Zak

Aug 09, 2018 03:38pm

'Usman, who used to draw a salary of Rs1,465,000 as the PSPC CEO'

One assumes, that was per month salary not to mention the umpteen perks.

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mustafa ahmed

Aug 09, 2018 03:41pm

Rs 4 billion squandered and not a single drop of water was produced and yet Shahbaz Sharif has the fricking audacity to shout about Rs 6 billion stole by Zardari in his election campaign....I don't even feel sorry for people who think Shahbaz is a competent administrator...they are all that is wrong with Pakistan...

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Jo

Aug 09, 2018 04:07pm

Put him on ECL and withdraw passport!

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Shadow

Aug 09, 2018 04:09pm

We are too many bad people and very less normal people and very few good people , now saf pani was great cover slogan and inside polluted water and staff ,,both were not ready to be converted to saf ?

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Gulab Khan of Gulabkhanah

Aug 09, 2018 04:16pm

Water, water everywhere. Not a drop to drink.

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Gulab Khan of Gulabkhanah

Aug 09, 2018 04:25pm

Make him drink the "saaf pani" that he provided to ordinary citizens.

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M1 Jamal

Aug 09, 2018 04:25pm

Please find the links and relationship he got appointed to this post.He fit case of nepotism.

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Moth

Aug 09, 2018 05:30pm

High salary on taxpayers money is a crime of its own nature. He should go behind bar if that salary is beyond the the maximum threshold defined by the federal government. If threshold not defined - then let him go free - good luck Pakistan.

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Asif A. Shah

Aug 09, 2018 05:50pm

I am all for strengthening NAB. If Pakistan ever aspires to be a country worth living it must build institutions and make serious efforts to be corruption free. Good luck to NAB!

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Arif

Aug 09, 2018 06:03pm

"unblemished record" should not be the only criteria for selection of someone for such a position. The capacity to bring change and solve the issue is also required.

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Abdul Sattar

Aug 09, 2018 06:38pm

Being a CEO, we cant say that his salary is unreasonable, however, the question to be asked is what he has achieved or what is his contribution to the company. Is that justify-able to the salary he has drawn.

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M Wasim K

Aug 09, 2018 06:48pm

@Ali For a country of Pakistan’s level, the Salary of 500,000 is more than enough for a Government CEO. The rest are perks like residence, car, health benefits, driver, guards. All of this not exceeding 200,000.

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Amjad Yousafzai

Aug 09, 2018 06:50pm

Imran is the real hero and charisma, in every field of life, he chosen for homself.Now being the leader and chied executive of country, i am quite optimistic that he will lead the country in a better direction.

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Hamed Quraishi

Aug 09, 2018 07:00pm

Keep it up NAB! Chase them and the judges will do the rest.

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Expat (usa)

Aug 09, 2018 07:20pm

Avalanche of corruption benignly ignored by the past government of Sharif brothers. A retired captain becomes CEO of PSPC, gets a woefully high salary (Rs 1465,000 = $ 14650, I guess per month). What is his special qualification for this job? then the contract is facilitated allegedly by the scion of Sharifs, Hamza Sharif. A point to ponder by the judiciary and whole nation.

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Expat (usa)

Aug 09, 2018 07:23pm

@junaid - the obscene amount over $14650 and he accomplished Zero.

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TM

Aug 09, 2018 07:47pm

NO ONE should be above the law.... till this is implemented and several elites are jailed and their property sold and money sent to the exchequer no one will believe there is justice

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Khan

Aug 09, 2018 07:48pm

Put his name on ECL, he is going to escape to London....

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Babar

Aug 09, 2018 08:17pm

To be honest, his salary is too low for a CEO even in Pakistan. Only issue is that if he is already employed as a grade 20 or 21 officer, ethically he should have worked for the same salary he was drawing as government employee.

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Aman

Aug 09, 2018 08:29pm

Please put him in ECL and freeze all his assets!

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Amin

Aug 09, 2018 08:31pm

Out Nab is getting stronger, good omens for the cpuntry

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ABE

Aug 09, 2018 08:37pm

It reeks of nopotism and favoritsm. Just like PML-N appointed the son of a firiend of Abbasi as Paksitan's newest Ambassador to the US - without any experience or training in diplomacy, foreign relations or political affairs.

That is the height of incompetency that permeated the PML-N government, without any regard for qualification, suitability or other mertis of the individuals - except they or their families were close associates of one corrupt, now a convicted criminal NS, so they were handed plum jobs with hefty salaries, without any expectations of delivery of results or prove their abilities on the job.

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AKB

Aug 09, 2018 08:39pm

Was it a project for provision of SAAF PAANI (Clean water) or for the sucking of blood of poor people? Rs1,465,000 Salary to a Retired Capt where as in Pakistan the poor employees get less than Rs.8000 per month.

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Shakil

Aug 09, 2018 08:44pm

so no corruption he says, 1.5 million per month salary itself is a corruption and was given to overlook massive corruption done by the creators of these so called companies on poor tax payers money. grade 18-19 public servant will get upto 100K only salary if they getting 16 times more for a second job, thats amazingly in the face of people saying its not corruption and so clear that not a single drop of water was supplied to people?

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AKB

Aug 09, 2018 08:51pm

Dear AWAAM ,they are not here to give us SAAF PAANI but to suck the last drop of our blood.

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Socrates

Aug 09, 2018 08:53pm

@Abdul Sattar : What are you talking about? Is this a reasonable salary for a retired Captain who has no competence to be appointed as CEO. This salary is double the salary of President and CJ of Pakistan.

Please talk sense.

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Socrates

Aug 09, 2018 08:56pm

Please, please, please catch this man and all those behind his recruitment. Put them all behind the bars for the rest of their life.

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Tariq

Aug 09, 2018 08:58pm

An ordinary Army Captain draws a salary of..................... questionable........ has to resign................... why ,,,,,,,,,,,, cannot face the new government..........

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Ahsan Gul

Aug 09, 2018 09:00pm

He could be honest BUT he did not do the job he was hired for. He a close friend of Nawaz Shreeif and a YES person. He must return received salary.

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Magnanimous approach

Aug 09, 2018 09:06pm

Rs 1,465,000 per month to an individual in poor country like Pakistan is a cruelty.
Besides the office rent too at exorbitant figure, yet another white collar crime.
All those involved be awarded exemplary punishments, and inappropriate money be recovered from them forthwith.

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Moth

Aug 09, 2018 09:23pm

@Expat (usa) per moth. No no no. That is insane. If true than perhaps he is getting a salary more than what a grade 15 officer getting in the US federal government. That cannot be per month. Will be per year I guess.

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TQ

Aug 09, 2018 09:37pm

@Expat (usa) yes you are right. I searched his resume........it is pathetic.

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Vikas

Aug 09, 2018 09:53pm

At least he did not scam people by claiming his "saaf pani" will run cars too. I mean Pakistanis have done that too in the past. If I remember it was another of those "game changers" among many. The latest "game changer" of course is IK but the question is has he replaced the one before namely CPEC?

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M. Afzal Riaz, MD

Aug 09, 2018 10:25pm

Now it is turn of Shahbaz, his son and son-in-law to go to jail.

Judges need to decide high level corruption cases in months and not years.

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Last Word

Aug 09, 2018 10:42pm

No 'Saaf Pani' but only looting and sharing the public money was the main purpose of this project. Those who appointed the CEO with such a high salary without accountability and despite spending Rs 4 billion, not a drop of water reached the people should be handed over exemplary punishment.

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AZAM AKBAR

Aug 09, 2018 10:43pm

@Khaled

Mr. Khaled,

In European countries and in the USA a CEO can

not draw such handsome salary in the semi-

government organisations, autonomous bodies

and government sister-concerned department.

This practice is in Sindh and Punjab where the

corrupt parties, PPP and PML-N, were/are in the

provincial governments.

Sad very sad.

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Asif

Aug 09, 2018 10:50pm

Ask this Captain to hand over all the perks and privileges plus the salary to this poor country.

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Mahmud

Aug 09, 2018 11:24pm

@M. Saeed No magic wand as he has not produced any saaf paani! A job in Pakistan with USA salary scale must be fun!

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Lahori kid

Aug 10, 2018 12:06am

Rs. 1.465 Million salary for providing not one drop of clean water to the people of Punjab, and the government of Punjab and the then CM of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif had no issue with all of this. Well done PML-N.

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Syed

Aug 10, 2018 12:21am

Imran Khan cannot live forever. If we want lasting change we need to build strong systems.

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Shaikh Yousuf

Aug 10, 2018 12:22am

@M. Saeed Saaf Pani

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khan

Aug 10, 2018 01:17am

Wow what a job he is doing. People are older without settling a normal life because of no jobs and he taking such high sallery without doing any work

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Harry

Aug 10, 2018 01:17am

Give me a salary of 100,000 and i'll produce saaf paani with that

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Naeem Qureshi

Aug 10, 2018 03:19am

What a shame. SS gave exorbitant salary for incompetence

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M. Johri

Aug 10, 2018 07:11am

Get them and put all Sharif family in Lahore Fort dirty jail .Adiala is too comfortable for them. They have committed
worst crimes in history of Pakistan.

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Be honest

Aug 10, 2018 07:41am

Rats abandoning a sinking ship.

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Masood

Aug 10, 2018 02:52pm

When the ad to select the CEO of the company was splashed at the web site of Saaf Paani and Rozee.pk, this guy had already occupied the seat of CEO. Process was just an eye wash, I am eye witness!

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Omkar Deshkar

Aug 10, 2018 03:25pm

Pakistan`s deficit in shown as 2 Billion per month by Mr.Asad. One the contrary, there is such high corruption charges...

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Reality

Aug 10, 2018 11:19pm

4 billion? Recover the money

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NK

Aug 10, 2018 11:57pm

For all expats this Rs1,465,000 a month is around $14k a month in US. By average US payout, it is way high. By Pakistan standard it is mind boggling.